Grid-based layouts are generally more aesthetically pleasing and balanced than those not based on grids. While there are definitely great designs out there that don’t use a grid-based layout, they are more difficult to create and often end up falling into some sort of loose grid structure anyway. So why not just design based on a grid in the first place? This post offers up a complete guide to designing with grids . There’s plenty of basic information here, as well as tons of links to more in-depth information on specific aspects of grid-based design from other sites. And to top it all off, we’ve compiled a showcase of excellent grid-based designs for inspiration. The Basics of Grid Design Virtually any website you design should be based on a grid. Grids lend a sense of structure to your site and improved usability for your visitors. And designing to a grid can simplify your design process and make you a more efficient designer. In a grid-based design, since the guides are already in place for you, your options are reduced, making it easier to decide on the width and height of different elements on your pages. Basic Principles and Ideas Most grid systems are split up into either 9, 12, 16, or 20 columns. Custom grids might use more or fewer columns than this. Some grids also break up the design into horizontal rows, which are generally the same width in pixels as the columns. Many designers feel that grids are only appropriate for fixed-width layouts, but grids are versatile enough to be used in fluid layouts, too. There are already some grid frameworks that make provisions for fluid layouts. Best Practices in Grid Design There are a number of things to keep in mind when designing with a grid. While many of the tips below are flexible, it’s helpful to know what they are before you embark on a grid-based design project. There’s nothing wrong with breaking the rules as long as it’s a conscious decision and not an accident. Use only enough columns as you need for your design. What’s the point of using a grid with 20 columns if you’re only going to use four of those? While combining columns is expected for individual elements, if you only need 12 columns, then pick a grid system (or design your own) that only uses 12 columns. Anything beyond that only creates visual clutter in your design workspace. Pay attention to both horizontal and vertical spacing. While some grid frameworks don’t have provisions for designing along a horizontal baseline, others do. If you work with one that doesn’t, consider creating your own horizontal rows to help with the spacing of elements vertically. Generally, rows should be the same number of pixels high as columns are wide. Don’t be afraid to step outside the grid. Sometimes you need to break free of your grid for certain elements. This is fine, as long as it’s a conscious decision and you know why it’s necessary. This is especially prevalent in header and footer design with complex backgrounds (like with an illustrated header). It’s okay to get away from the grid if you feel it’s integral to the design. Use a pre-designed grid if possible

Grid-based layouts are generally more aesthetically pleasing and balanced than those not based on grids. While there are definitely great designs out there that don’t use a grid-based layout, they are more difficult to create and often end up falling into some sort of loose grid structure anyway. So why not just design based on a grid in the first place? This post offers up a complete guide to designing with grids . There’s plenty of basic information here, as well as tons of links to more in-depth information on specific aspects of grid-based design from other sites. And to top it all off, we’ve compiled a showcase of excellent grid-based designs for inspiration. The Basics of Grid Design Virtually any website you design should be based on a grid. Grids lend a sense of structure to your site and improved usability for your visitors. And designing to a grid can simplify your design process and make you a more efficient designer. In a grid-based design, since the guides are already in place for you, your options are reduced, making it easier to decide on the width and height of different elements on your pages. Basic Principles and Ideas Most grid systems are split up into either 9, 12, 16, or 20 columns. Custom grids might use more or fewer columns than this. Some grids also break up the design into horizontal rows, which are generally the same width in pixels as the columns. Many designers feel that grids are only appropriate for fixed-width layouts, but grids are versatile enough to be used in fluid layouts, too. There are already some grid frameworks that make provisions for fluid layouts. Best Practices in Grid Design There are a number of things to keep in mind when designing with a grid. While many of the tips below are flexible, it’s helpful to know what they are before you embark on a grid-based design project. There’s nothing wrong with breaking the rules as long as it’s a conscious decision and not an accident. Use only enough columns as you need for your design. What’s the point of using a grid with 20 columns if you’re only going to use four of those? While combining columns is expected for individual elements, if you only need 12 columns, then pick a grid system (or design your own) that only uses 12 columns. Anything beyond that only creates visual clutter in your design workspace. Pay attention to both horizontal and vertical spacing. While some grid frameworks don’t have provisions for designing along a horizontal baseline, others do. If you work with one that doesn’t, consider creating your own horizontal rows to help with the spacing of elements vertically. Generally, rows should be the same number of pixels high as columns are wide. Don’t be afraid to step outside the grid. Sometimes you need to break free of your grid for certain elements. This is fine, as long as it’s a conscious decision and you know why it’s necessary. This is especially prevalent in header and footer design with complex backgrounds (like with an illustrated header). It’s okay to get away from the grid if you feel it’s integral to the design. Use a pre-designed grid if possible. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. There are more than a dozen good, grid-based layouts available. One of them will most likely fit your needs, even if you have to tweak it a bit. Additional Resources Grid-Based Design 101 Grid-Based Design: Six Creative Column Techniques which covers six techniques for working within grid columns. Grid Design Tutorials and Resources There are numerous tutorials and resources available for grid-based design. While many rehash what’s been said over and over again, there are some real gems out there that provide valuable insights into grid-based design

Grid-based layouts are generally more aesthetically pleasing and balanced than those not based on grids. While there are definitely great designs out there that don’t use a grid-based layout, they are more difficult to create and often end up falling into some sort of loose grid structure anyway. So why not just design based on a grid in the first place? This post offers up a complete guide to designing with grids . There’s plenty of basic information here, as well as tons of links to more in-depth information on specific aspects of grid-based design from other sites. And to top it all off, we’ve compiled a showcase of excellent grid-based designs for inspiration. The Basics of Grid Design Virtually any website you design should be based on a grid. Grids lend a sense of structure to your site and improved usability for your visitors. And designing to a grid can simplify your design process and make you a more efficient designer. In a grid-based design, since the guides are already in place for you, your options are reduced, making it easier to decide on the width and height of different elements on your pages. Basic Principles and Ideas Most grid systems are split up into either 9, 12, 16, or 20 columns. Custom grids might use more or fewer columns than this. Some grids also break up the design into horizontal rows, which are generally the same width in pixels as the columns. Many designers feel that grids are only appropriate for fixed-width layouts, but grids are versatile enough to be used in fluid layouts, too. There are already some grid frameworks that make provisions for fluid layouts. Best Practices in Grid Design There are a number of things to keep in mind when designing with a grid. While many of the tips below are flexible, it’s helpful to know what they are before you embark on a grid-based design project. There’s nothing wrong with breaking the rules as long as it’s a conscious decision and not an accident. Use only enough columns as you need for your design. What’s the point of using a grid with 20 columns if you’re only going to use four of those? While combining columns is expected for individual elements, if you only need 12 columns, then pick a grid system (or design your own) that only uses 12 columns. Anything beyond that only creates visual clutter in your design workspace. Pay attention to both horizontal and vertical spacing. While some grid frameworks don’t have provisions for designing along a horizontal baseline, others do. If you work with one that doesn’t, consider creating your own horizontal rows to help with the spacing of elements vertically. Generally, rows should be the same number of pixels high as columns are wide. Don’t be afraid to step outside the grid. Sometimes you need to break free of your grid for certain elements. This is fine, as long as it’s a conscious decision and you know why it’s necessary. This is especially prevalent in header and footer design with complex backgrounds (like with an illustrated header). It’s okay to get away from the grid if you feel it’s integral to the design. Use a pre-designed grid if possible

Grid-based layouts are generally more aesthetically pleasing and balanced than those not based on grids. While there are definitely great designs out there that don’t use a grid-based layout, they are more difficult to create and often end up falling into some sort of loose grid structure anyway. So why not just design based on a grid in the first place? This post offers up a complete guide to designing with grids . There’s plenty of basic information here, as well as tons of links to more in-depth information on specific aspects of grid-based design from other sites. And to top it all off, we’ve compiled a showcase of excellent grid-based designs for inspiration. The Basics of Grid Design Virtually any website you design should be based on a grid. Grids lend a sense of structure to your site and improved usability for your visitors. And designing to a grid can simplify your design process and make you a more efficient designer. In a grid-based design, since the guides are already in place for you, your options are reduced, making it easier to decide on the width and height of different elements on your pages. Basic Principles and Ideas Most grid systems are split up into either 9, 12, 16, or 20 columns. Custom grids might use more or fewer columns than this. Some grids also break up the design into horizontal rows, which are generally the same width in pixels as the columns. Many designers feel that grids are only appropriate for fixed-width layouts, but grids are versatile enough to be used in fluid layouts, too. There are already some grid frameworks that make provisions for fluid layouts. Best Practices in Grid Design There are a number of things to keep in mind when designing with a grid. While many of the tips below are flexible, it’s helpful to know what they are before you embark on a grid-based design project. There’s nothing wrong with breaking the rules as long as it’s a conscious decision and not an accident. Use only enough columns as you need for your design. What’s the point of using a grid with 20 columns if you’re only going to use four of those? While combining columns is expected for individual elements, if you only need 12 columns, then pick a grid system (or design your own) that only uses 12 columns. Anything beyond that only creates visual clutter in your design workspace.

Grid-based layouts are generally more aesthetically pleasing and balanced than those not based on grids. While there are definitely great designs out there that don’t use a grid-based layout, they are more difficult to create and often end up falling into some sort of loose grid structure anyway. So why not just design based on a grid in the first place? This post offers up a complete guide to designing with grids . There’s plenty of basic information here, as well as tons of links to more in-depth information on specific aspects of grid-based design from other sites. And to top it all off, we’ve compiled a showcase of excellent grid-based designs for inspiration. The Basics of Grid Design Virtually any website you design should be based on a grid. Grids lend a sense of structure to your site and improved usability for your visitors. And designing to a grid can simplify your design process and make you a more efficient designer. In a grid-based design, since the guides are already in place for you, your options are reduced, making it easier to decide on the width and height of different elements on your pages. Basic Principles and Ideas Most grid systems are split up into either 9, 12, 16, or 20 columns. Custom grids might use more or fewer columns than this. Some grids also break up the design into horizontal rows, which are generally the same width in pixels as the columns. Many designers feel that grids are only appropriate for fixed-width layouts, but grids are versatile enough to be used in fluid layouts, too. There are already some grid frameworks that make provisions for fluid layouts. Best Practices in Grid Design There are a number of things to keep in mind when designing with a grid. While many of the tips below are flexible, it’s helpful to know what they are before you embark on a grid-based design project. There’s nothing wrong with breaking the rules as long as it’s a conscious decision and not an accident. Use only enough columns as you need for your design. What’s the point of using a grid with 20 columns if you’re only going to use four of those? While combining columns is expected for individual elements, if you only need 12 columns, then pick a grid system (or design your own) that only uses 12 columns. Anything beyond that only creates visual clutter in your design workspace. Pay attention to both horizontal and vertical spacing. While some grid frameworks don’t have provisions for designing along a horizontal baseline, others do. If you work with one that doesn’t, consider creating your own horizontal rows to help with the spacing of elements vertically. Generally, rows should be the same number of pixels high as columns are wide. Don’t be afraid to step outside the grid. Sometimes you need to break free of your grid for certain elements. This is fine, as long as it’s a conscious decision and you know why it’s necessary. This is especially prevalent in header and footer design with complex backgrounds (like with an illustrated header). It’s okay to get away from the grid if you feel it’s integral to the design. Use a pre-designed grid if possible. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. There are more than a dozen good, grid-based layouts available. One of them will most likely fit your needs, even if you have to tweak it a bit. Additional Resources Grid-Based Design 101 Grid-Based Design: Six Creative Column Techniques which covers six techniques for working within grid columns. Grid Design Tutorials and Resources There are numerous tutorials and resources available for grid-based design. While many rehash what’s been said over and over again, there are some real gems out there that provide valuable insights into grid-based design. And while tutorials are more sparse than articles, there are some great ones available, some of which are included below.